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22 May 2017

Queen Letizia's Wedding Jewels

Today, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain celebrate their thirteenth wedding anniversary. In honor of their big day, here's a look back at the jewels worn by Letizia at her wedding.

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First up: the engagement ring. Felipe presented Letizia with a white gold ring set with sixteen baguette-cut diamonds. The ring was made by Suárez. Until the engagement announcement was made in November 2003, the public was kept completely in the dark about Felipe and Letizia's romance. His sister and brother-in-law, Infanta Cristina and Iñaki Urdangarin, helped them to hide the relationship, and it was Iñaki who went to Suárez to pick up Letizia's engagement ring.

After her marriage, Letizia eventually stopped wearing her engagement ring, which has led to much speculation about her feelings about that particular piece of jewelry. After Iñaki's various scandals came to light, some wrote that either he or one of his business associates had actually paid for Letizia's ring; however, according to El Pais, this is not the case. Some have suggested that the ring's association with Iñaki and Cristina (who reportedly later had something of a falling out with Felipe and Letizia) is the reason that Letizia no longer wears the piece. Ultimately, we don't really know. These days, Letizia rarely wears any rings at all -- not even her wedding ring, which is a plain gold band.

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On her wedding day, Letizia arrived at the cathedral in Madrid wearing a diamond tiara loaned to her by her soon-to-be mother-in-law, Queen Sofia. The Prussian Tiara is an heirloom from Sofia's family; it's also the tiara that Sofia wore on her own wedding day. The tiara is a German piece, made by Koch. The small kokoshnik-style sparkler features meander and laurel-leaf motifs, as well as a large central diamond, which is set en tremblant.

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Letizia's diamond wedding earrings were her wedding present from her new in-laws, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. The classic earrings were an excellent choice -- they coordinate with lots of outfits, and Letizia has worn them regularly throughout her marriage.

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And that was all of her wedding jewelry. I think ultimately Letizia was smart to keep things simple jewelry-wise, letting her elaborate, embroidered wedding gown take center stage. The structured, exaggerated collar and cuffs of the gown would have dominated a necklace or bracelets.

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The gown was designed by a Spanish couturier, Manuel Pertegaz. The dress was embroidered in gold with wheat and floral designs, as well as the Bourbon dynasty's trademark fleur-de-lis.

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Where do Letizia's royal wedding jewels fall in your best-of rankings?